My First, Last, and Only
by Meeper
Summary: In the few moments of his death, Gaara is given back one of the brighter moments of his childhood His first, last, and only friend. T for some later blood. R'n R!
1. Prolog

_"Gaara-Kun…"_

_He lifted a stained eye at the sound, the sand rather cold around his body and the weight and feeling of his gourd missing from his back. The other eyelid lifted as well, staring up at a gray-blue sky. Not a cloud, as usual. His fingers groped at the sand beneath him, a shiver overtaking him at the icy feel, despite the prevailing sunshine._

_Why was it so cold-_

_"Gaara-Kun…Don't make me get you up…"_

_The voice, plaintive and sprightly, sounded off again, throwing him into an upright sitting position. The icy green flashed about, taking in his surroundings. Sand, yes, like his home, yet no village. It was as though a dune hadn't shifted out of place after he was taken by that…_

_That man, and his strange bird…_

_"Who are you!" He bristled, moving forward into a crouched position. If they wanted some this time, at least there wasn't a village to protect. "If you're part of that association that took the-"_

_"Oh…them…" Again, the quiet authority rang true and halted Gaara's accusation. "No…I haven't anything to do with them. In fact, up until they took you, I hadn't the slightest clue who or what they were!" A pleasant giggle echoed through Gaara's head. He cocked a nonexistent eyebrow._

_Whoever this was as a female…_

_"Well…alright then, where am I. This certainly isn't the Sand Village."_

_"Sharp one, you are!" Another giggle; Gaara's mind immediately clocking this female at about 20-30 years old. Slowly, the wheels began to turn, the voice waiting patiently. An idea dawned on him, shock riding every syllable._

_"…mother…?"_

_"Mother!" The voice giggled back. "Of course I'm not your mother! Your mother's too busy junking your father!"_

_Gaara mumbled something crass under his breath and tossed that idea out the window._

_"But…" He paused in his livid muttering, his surroundings wiping clean of any color like a chalk-scribbled sidewalk in a hard summer rain. Alarmed already, it only grew when the ground disappeared out from under him. Gravity be damned, his body almost drifted horizontally in this blank white space! Gaara winced, bracing for impact…_

_But none came._

_The back of Gaara's head settled against a cushion of cloth covered legs, fitting perfectly into the junction between them. A pair of slender, pale hands slid across his face, one coming to rest cradling his right cheek. A wave of warmth followed, the light touch of the fingertips bringing almost a tingling comfort with them. Gaara sank willingly into it, letting his eyes close and nestling up against the palm where this warmth radiated from. He briefly registered the other hand curling through his hair, twirling the crimson strands around the supple knuckles._

_"…are you at peace, Gaara-Kun?"_

_He didn't even open his eyes, still basking in the almost overwhelming tenderness, the fingertips like warm sunlight on his skin._

_"…yes…" Again, the question arose, though in his serenity, he found it difficult to speak at all._

_"…who are you?"_

_"…you know who I am…" The same voice from before, but having the same serene touch as her fingers did._

_"You knew me long before this event ever came to pass, before you ever became a ninja…After all…it was my prayers that saved you from Hell…or even the Tombs Village…" Gaara merely sighed in response, all too happy to recline in this warm, white tranquility._

_"…I must've died…"_

_"Yes, Gaara-kun…you did die…"_

_He spent a moment pondering that, but didn't dwell."…I suppose it makes sense then, why you're here…" A rare, genuine smile crossed his lips. "No one treats me like this in life…"_

_"I would've…my god allowing…"_

_Gaara allowed himself a look, opening his eyes and staring upwards towards the strange woman's face. Amidst the white, the soft contours came into focus, framed by golden yellow hair that fell past her shoulders. Delicate and subtle cheekbones and an equally slight nose led up to the crown jewels of her visage, the eyes. The deep blue sapphire-like orbs were as soft and gentle as they were alluring, glittering with inner amusement that he couldn't quite see the reason for. For the moment, though, the laughter was replaced with tenderness, almost…_

_He studied this face watching his own, feeling almost guilty for looking._

_"…do you remember me?"_

_"…No…there are no angels where I come from." Gaara's gaze began to reflect his curiosity. "…is that what you are?"_

_"Guess again, Gaara-Kun."_

_Gaara shrugged, letting his eyes close again. "…then what are you…"_

_"…Just a tribesgirl looking out for her best friend…"_

_Gaara's eyes flew open, the pupils narrowing. His mind began to itch, that phrase stirring the dust in his memory._

_"…Tribesgirl?"_

_The hands lifted away from the sides of his face, the strange woman leaning forward and, much to Gaara's shock, ever so gently brushed her lips past his. His eyes flew open, partially from the contact, but more from the flood of images obscuring his vision. The face disappeared, his life rewinding in front of his eyes, halting upon a Gaara with his kanji fresh on his forehead._

_"…is that…"_

_His background faded, warping back into his childhood._

_"Remember me now, Gaara…"_

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_End of Prolog_


	2. Tribe Girl

Long time no see, fellow Fan-artists! I know there's a lot of fan fiction for Naruto, especially Gaara, but does anyone focus on Gaara as a child? We all know he grew up friendless. But perhaps…maybe…just maybe…he DID have one friend. Just one.

This is the beginning of 'First, Last, and Only'. Go easy on me, it's been a long time since I've written anything. Enjoy!

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Used to the crowd ignoring him, the red-headed 7 year old made headway against the surging mass, green eyes to the ground. Every day was like this, and Trade Day was different only by account of more people in the village itself. Sure, the strange costumes and barking attitudes of the other tribes were a bit of a amusement for a moment or two, but melted back into the throng after a passing glance. Today would be like every other day.

So he thought.

Consumed in the blank haze that came from too little caffeine, Gaara's path was quite suddenly interrupted. Plowed into, both members of the collision fell backwards, their senses and foreheads assaulted.

The littler Gaara lay there for a minute, soaking up the pain in his head and watching the bodies go running past him. His sand hadn't even protected him, his attention had wandered so.

_Best not let it happen again._

The red-headed of the two promptly sat up, fearing another assassination attempt, and found something a little less frightening sitting up across from him. He tilted his head, watching the other member of the collision sit up, rubbing her forehead and eyes closed. The well tanned skin had formed a red lump where the two had bumped noggins. Thankfully for her, the blonde mess of her bangs obscured most of it. Apparently able to open an eye now, the brilliant, rippling blue met Gaara's icy green.

Gaara's attention, from that point on, was grounded on this girl he had the indeterminate luck of running into. There was no fear in those eyes, no recognition of who or what he was, or any suggestion of negativity at all. As his study moved on, the reason grew obvious. The hand-sewn and fiery colored clothes showed a direct tribal descent.

_A tribes girl… _He pondered, his expression blank._ …no wonder…_

He was snapped out of his funk by a few words from his peer, his attention coming back. It was to no avail, though. Seeing the language barrier, the female's expression momentarily flicked into disappointment before returning to its sheepish smile. Gaara watched her stand, the two children ignored by the passing crowds. She bent, expectantly holding out a hand.

"Are you ok?" She chimed, ashamed and genuinely apologetic. Gaara took her hand wordlessly, still a little taken aback by her utter lack of fear. The girl pulled, almost jerking him to his feet.

"Yeah…" This was more socializing then Gaara had done in a while, especially with someone he guessed to be his own age. His awkward words were to be expected. "It kinda startled me…"

"I guess my head's just as thick as my dad says it is." The tribal girl didn't seemed fazed by his slow, uncomfortable words. Instead, she leaned in, her curiosity causing a nose to nose encounter, even if she did have to stand of tip-toe to do so. Gaara yelped and stumbled back, not used to this close proximity with anyone at all, much less some strange girl he crashed into on the street.

To his surprise, she giggled. Gaara bit his lip, disbelieving that a sound could be so disarming without some ulterior motive.

"I'm Mara." She said. The bright yellow hair flashed briefly in the afternoon sun as she briefly dipped her head. Still uncomfortable, he couldn't manage one back, unable to meet those brilliant azure eyes. Instead, he stared at the ground, grinding a foot into the dust. His voice came out more unsure then ever, positive conversation not his forte.

"…Gaara." He murmured, his quiet voice drowned out by the clamor around the pair. The blonde's playfulness disappeared. Inwardly, Gaara winced.

_Now she's gonna run away, like all the others do-_

"I can't hear you!" Mara said, her words a little elevated in tone. "Could you speak loud-"

"I'M GAARA!" He shrieked, his voice silencing the bustling crowd around him. Embarrassed, he immediately jerked his mouth shut at the reaction of the crowd, his face almost as crimson as his hair.

"….yeah…Gaara." He stared at the ground, willing his face to stop rivaling the chili pepper. He couldn't shake off the feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he'd publicly embarrass himself either.

…_It could be worse, right?_


	3. Shabawahbadingdong

"So, where're you going?"

Gaara shifted back to look at her, relieved as his face started to lose color. Mara waited, patient and shifting from one bare foot to the other.

"…not really anywhere interesting…"

"Oh c'mon!" She pouted, putting her experience to good use. "Anywhere in this place is interesting!" Mara turned on the ball of her foot, turning a couple of complete circles, seemingly to rotate without any outward action, her arms wheeling as she slowly spun. Gaara, already confused, was now **_completely _**lost, and his slack-jawed expression stated so. The crazy girl kept speaking as she turned, wondering and wandering eyes focusing on the homes around them as she spun.

"Before I came here, I'd never seen anything but a tent before! Dad calls them 'houses' or 'apartments', but I don't believe him. That's not a good enough word for something like THESE!" She FINALLY stopped spinning, and Gaara, poor Gaara, his head sent reeling by the constant spinning and the jabbering of this blonde haired weirdo, was halfway spinning all of his own. At least her halted motions allowed him to settle his swirling head.

Not for long though!

Suddenly jerked forward, Gaara was almost dragged headlong out of the crowd, trying his best not to pull back against her. His thoughts were a jumble, swarming with thoughts and pieces of Mara's one sided conversation. Mad confusion revolved in his head, doing his best to try and ignore the fact that he was being hauled through a forest of legs, robes, and dress folds. Gritting his teeth, his eyes shut, turning his head and bracing for the worst…

The motion stopped as quickly as it began. Mara, seemingly fresh as a spring daisy after dragging her new companion through that over-populated hellhole, released Gaara's arm. Her grin remained set, even after he wobbled, looking physically sick, and fell to the ground.

"…uurrhhh…" Gaara watched the world spin 'round as the Shukaku buried in his subconscious roared in laughter at his vessel's motion sickness.

Mara ignored his complaint, throwing out a dramatic arm and pointing at the largest building in sight.

"…I think these things should be given a NEW name!" She proclaimed, sounding more like she was going to go conquer a country then anything else. She got no response, save a couple of eyebrows from the few villagers not at the Trading Day's festivities. A little worried, she looked down at Gaara and cocked her head to the side, her hair swaying as she did so.

"…what'cha doin' down there?"

All shyness and awkward moments left behind in the sea of legs they ran through, Gaara could now respond with a look that suggested a humor as dry as the dirt he was sprawled in.

"…I'm sun-bathing."

"I'll sunbathe too!" She cried, flopping into the dirt beside him. She stared up at the endless blue for a moment before her attention returned to her original goal; renaming the permanent houses.

"…You see those 'houses' over there?"

The icy green tilted, bringing the object in question into view.

"…yeah?"

"Those're no longer houses!" She chimed, her voice springy and light.

He blinked just once, sitting up and looking back down at her.

"…what're you talking about?"

"They need new names!" She replied, sitting up and dusting her auburn wrappings off. Gaara challenged this with a contradictory look.

"Oh really, like what."

"…oh…I dunno…" She put a finger to her chin, furrowed in thought. The red-headed male looked on, getting used to the silence.

"…..I'VE GOT IT!"

Gaara yelped, flailing as he hit the dirt again. Mara's intense blue eyes were focused solely on the target building in front of them, her tone triumphant as she wound up for the outburst.

"They should be called, SHABAH-WABAH-DINGY-DONGS!"

Gaara, already on the ground, was floored once more. Immediately on his knees, the confusion was stark on his face as any control he had was lost. His hands pulled at his hair, staring up at Mara in a mixture of shock and deep bewilderment.

"What on EARTH is a Shabah-wabah-ding…whatever it was?"

"It's a game, Gaara! You gotta' give these 'houses' a new name. The word 'house' is too boring."

_…a game…_

Immediately a little more hopeful, he followed Mara's example.

"Um…Foobal-booties!" Her giggling reaction upped his eagerness a little more, enough to venture out another suggestion.

"Snickerwaddles!"

"That's good for a beginner." Mara rubbed her chin, consulting him with a playful eye. "Gimme' some more!"

Gaara was all too happy to comply.

"Spalunkers! Buddle-rumps! Dadder-cadder-cofushi-wadders!"

He didn't even notice Mara hooking her arm in his, leading him deeper into the village as the two continued to spit nonsense and wobble all over the street as the day began to die.

"My turn, my turn! Udder-twisters! Knicker-bockers! Piddle-de-diddalers!"

"No, mine! Snoggler-tanks! Kafooselies! Cawonkies!"

"Lapoofs!"

"Dirigibles!"

Mara stopped, turning around in apparent shock, her hands clasped to her cheeks in apparent horror.

"You live in a BUDDLE-RUMP? OH NOES! How DISGRACEFUL!"

And once the crazy, childish Gaara was let loose, it would not be stopped. Gaara shook his head defiantly, putting his fists on his hips and trying to make himself look superior. His shadow was indeed long and tall in the dying sunlight, but Mara didn't seem too impressed.

"Why, don't say THAT, young lady!" He bossed, posturing about. "I rather like my buddle-rumps the way they are! But your LAPOOFS!" His hand to his forehead, he feigned swooning.

"AUGH! How HORRID!"

Neither of them could keep a straight face for long, dissolving completely into sniggering and snorting and leaning on each other for support.

"…Go home, tribe girl. Today's dealings are long over."

Gaara's giggling ended abruptly, recognizing his father's voice in an instant. Mara's smiling face swung around, struck to awe at the apparent size of the adult rearing over the two. Instinctually, she clung to the nearest thing; Gaara. The Kazekage did not seem amused. The blonde female ignored her companion's reddening face, almost cringing at the cold, threatening tone in the Kage's voice.

"Leave, before I have you escorted out."

Mara didn't need to be told twice, muttering something in Gaara's ears before disappearing into the gathering dark. Gaara's blush faded, hidden by the evening, glumly following his father. Halfway home, he brightened up, snickering under his breath. That caught Yondaime's attention.

"…what're you so happy about."

"…nothing…I just enjoy living in our Shabah-wabah-ding-dong…" He strolled on, trying to suppress his giggle at the confusion of his father. Leaving him behind, Mara's message revolved in his head.

_Meet me outside the village gates, my friend…_

Something warm and pleasant was all awash within him, and Gaara rather liked it.

……….

…So this was what it was like to have friends…

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Oh my! Gaara's got a FRRIIEEENND! snicker …utter twister… immature giggle, shot x.x

… That hurt…a lot… Anyway, Yondaime isn't too pleased about this! Wonder what he's gonna do…But on a lighter note, MEET THE TWINS! Next Issue, The Brothers Ratura


	4. The Brothers Ratura

Before I begin, for all the commenters and responses! Thank you all for the positive reviews, you've really helped me along. Now, onward with the chapter, 'The Brothers Ratura'!

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_…Darkness, abject, absolute, and seemingly unbroken. Sound and light are absent, nothing to disturb the endless gloom… _

_A drop of blood slips through the dark, betraying the deathly black as it obeys Gravity's will. It plummets, a human face momentarily reflected in the unbroken liquid before it encounters a solid surface. The liquid blooms upon impact, crowning into a rough 'Wind' kanji. It freezes, holding solid for seeming an eternity before the focus is drawn inward. Something can be seen shifting within the Kanji's frozen pieces, like the reflections of a broken mirror…_

_The silence of this unbroken room is finally broken, the 'Wind' Kanji shattering into a thousand pieces. Struggling from what remains of its eggshell, the mewling cries of a cub add to the tinkering of the kanji fragments. Almost a miniature version of the Ichiibi, the weakened paws scrabble at what remains of its bloody prison, unopened eyes blind and pathetic in its calls for help. _

_The cub's cries do not go unanswered._

_The hulking shape of the Kyuubi rears from the shadows, curiosity having replaced the customary snarl. Nine tails flicking about, the rearing fox beast takes a preemptive sniff, prodding the cub with the tip of its snout. With the mere touch, the body of the cub rumbles, exploding forth in size and muscle. Any kindly interest the Kyuubi had in the youngling evaporates in an instant, belting out a vicious roar at the creature now twice its size. The cub, now a streamlined beast quite unlike the bulky demon it represented, tosses the warning bellow aside. The beasts jaws agape, the Kyuubi is given no warning whatsoever before its head is ripped clear from its shoulders. The fox demon's body wobbles before collapsing into a sea of broiling chakra, the head dropped into the fiery blood. The beast, once a cub, shows no remorse, the eyes finally open to show the irises…_

_Turquoise…_

Horrified at what he had just seen in his coffee cup, Gaara shivered, pushing his mug away. He didn't need it, wide-awake already. His older sister paid no attention, only briefly noticing that Gaara was staring at his coffee cup as though it were about to jump up and eat his face.

"…if you're not going to drink your coffee, I will."

Gaara's horrified face turned to Temari, his expression clearly stating that his sister had just pleasantly asked to be slaughtered in horrible ways.

"Yeah, sure Temari. You can drink it, but I'm gonna laugh when it leaps up and EATS YOUR HEAD!"

"…meh." A grunt, sipping the coffee while Gaara looked on in suspenseful terror across the table. Temari's face contorted, a grimace for the ages. Gaara, at the peak of his suspense, shrieked and dove under the table, narrowly avoiding the spray of black coffee that came jetting from Temari's mouth.

"I KNEW IT! HE'S GONNA EAT YOUR SOUL TOO!"

"No, this COFFEE'S gonna eat my soul!" She spat, wiping the black coffee from her mouth. "You don't put any cream or sugar in this thing! EUCH!"

"…I like it black…" He muttered, sheepish and awkward again, clambering back into his chair. "Keeps me awake and my soul whole."

However, Temari wasn't paying attention to HIM anymore, instead, just behind him. Her attempt at keeping a straight face was failing miserably. Kankuro, covered in saliva and hot coffee, dimly blew it off his face out of the corner of his mouth, his face paint smearing and dripping off his chin into the stone floor.

"…I. Just. Put. This. On.…" He spat, his left eye twitching.

Temari determined it was far too early in the morning to be dealing with her younger brother's complains.

"Then you'll just have to reapply your clown face." She muttered bitterly, chugging the rest of Gaara's now sweetened coffee.

"IT'S NOT A CLOWN FACE!"

"What's with all the racket down here!" The three at the table froze in the sight of their father, sprayed coffee everywhere and Kankuro soaked in aforesaid fluid.

"…well…uh…" Gaara stuttered. "I saw something scary in my coffee and Tamari said that she'd drink it but when she did she spat it out and got it all over Kankuro and then Kankuro got really mad-"

"Shut up Gaara." Yondaime spat. "Kankuro, Temari, clean this up before I sic your brother on you!" After the quick salute given by the two older siblings, Yondaime turned his full attention to the smallest of his children.

"…don't you have something to do that doesn't involve you being here?"

Gaara bent his head, apologetic and glum. "…yes sir." He turned, his head still hung as he made his way to the doorway.

"…don't let me catch you near that girl, either."

Gaara froze, biting back a glare and a hostile remark.

_How DARE he…_

He suppressed the beast quelling within his mind, instead allowing himself a rumbling snarl and exiting before anything else could be let loose.

Today, apparently, was going to be just as strange as the last one.

Gaara hadn't even taken 4 steps outside the door before his arms were encased in two pairs of hands, a pair for each arm. He barely even registered that he was being grabbed before, with a cry of surprise, he was hoisted onto his own roof. Landing on his rear end with a sound SMACK, the icy green eyes frantically sought out his grabbers, not wanting any more surprises today.

_No one in front…_

_No one behind…_

"Up here, you red head!

You're so very pale! Are you dead?"

His head jerked upwards, taking in the two identical faces blocking the morning sun. Their messy black hair, tanned faces, and twinkling eyes seemed to mirror each other in every movement, down to the cockamamie grins and the happy waving. Gaara flattened himself against the already hot roof, staring up at the two teens with a mixture of shock and wary curiosity.

"…Are you two-"

"Twins?" The one of the left spouted, his glee evident. "Oh yes, in every way!"

"Down to the hair, the food, and the women we lay!" The one of the right finished.

This didn't help Gaara at all, only went to horrify him more. The two simply winked at him, each grasping a shoulder and pulling Gaara up. He stared at the two with growing puzzlement, utterly lost.

"…who ARE you two!"

"Dinao!" The left one spouted.

"Tinao!" The right one finished. Locking hands, they hoisted Gaara back up between them, grinning a foot wide between the two.

"Together, we are the RATURA BROTHE-"

"What the HELL'RE you tribe boys doing on my roof!" Their happy expressions promptly dropped away, replaced by wary curiosity as they, in synchronization, peered over the roof edge to see who was screaming at them. Fearing for the dubious pair, even if they WERE out of their minds, Gaara's concerning green orbs were turned to his father. Despite the silent plea, the adult remained steamed.

"You guys'd better be that assassination crew I called for." The Kazekage growled. The twins glanced between each other, the mischievousness gone from their eyes, and turned their attention to Yondaime. Gaara grit his teeth, turning his head away and preparing for the worst.

_Great, an assassination team…this isn't gonna be pretty…_

"Assassination! What a word! Not this occasion!

Lets pick out that word. Two asses in a nation!

Hire someone to destroy your young boy? What a fuss!

Quite natural, I suppose, for the double-ass in front of us!"

Gaara blinked his eyes open, unable to suppress a giggle at the rhyming reprieve his father had just been awarded. The 'Double-Ass' was not amused, his fingers flickering through a series of signs, speaking as he went.

"This is why I hate Tribal People…" He hissed. "Can't keep their bloody hands to themselves-"

"Lovely speaking!

But our time is fleeting!

Off we go,

With your son you know!

Better he be with friends without a bother,

Then with a double-ass like you for a father!"

Without another word, both stuck their tongue out at the now boiling Kazekage, grasped Gaara's arms a little tighter, and sprang away over the roof tops, another simultaneous cry drifting over the rock.

"YOINK!"

"GET BACK HERE!" The adult cried, brandishing a fist. "THAT'S AN ACT OF WAR!" Being both insulted and ignored was not his cup of tea, glaring after the bouncing twins.

"At least now I'll have an excuse to exterminate the tribes…"

Back with the twins, their 'captive' was still being held, dragged along for the ride. After a few roofs had passed, Gaara plucked enough courage from his queasy gut to ask a question.

"My dad's not gonna be happy about this…"

"We're not slow!" Dinao responded, cheerful despite the war-threat. Tinao quickly joined in.

"We're always in the know!

Two of a kind!

What a find!

One and two!

Through and through!

Peas in a pod!

Blades of grass in sod!

Cat fish and cod!

That's odd…

Not odd, a perfect Façade!"

Gaara stared onward, trying not to stare at his captors as they continued to jabber about their similarities.

_I'm being kidnapped by psychopaths-_

Jerked to a stop, he glanced up at the strangely silent pair, a twinge of fear alighting in his eyes. The brothers seemed more interested in sniffing the air then paying much attention to him. That was perfectly fine for the moment. At least they weren't rhyming, or JUMPING…

"…what is it?"

The brother Gaara THOUGHT to be Tinao bit his lip, his eyes shut. An expression of ecstasy rolled across his face, Dinao mirroring it perfectly. Their bellies quivered, both of them giving a drawn-out growl.

"…oooohh…" Dinao and Tinao's tongues lolled out of their mouth, Gaara now in mortal peril of getting drooled on.

"...'tis teh Mara-meister, with some of her ramen-age…"

Gaara ignored the risk of slobber, his attention caught by 'Mara-meister'. If these freaks knew Mara…

"Wait, you know Mara?" He called, cautiously trying to snap them from their food-induced funk. "How?"

They froze, looking back down at their captive as though he had lost every inch of sanity that he had. Gaara didn't blame them, as if he had to stay with these crazies much longer, he WOULD lose it…

"What's wrong with you!

Sick with the flu?

Living under the rocks?

Reset your mental clock?

The Mara-meister's our sis, our kitty-cat,

How on earth did you miss that!"

Everything in Gaara's mind ground to a halt; The gears locked and a coil or two let loose with a silent 'POING!'. Now thoroughly disturbed, Gaara let out a whimper, dragged along again by the rhyming, salivating brothers. Though the twitching, however, salvation was at hand. Gaara's pale face split into a smile, seeing the approaching gates.

"Must go must go!

Can't miss the food, oh no!

We'll leave you with Mara here,

Just as we promised clear!"

He had no time to question what on earth that meant, as he was swept over the wall without being given the hint he was asking for. In the eyes on the Nin sent to track him, the boy had officially been kidnapped and hijacked out of the Village. Huffing a deep breath, the chunin tracking the threesome turned back towards the village, a deep set feeling of dread dragging his heart into his stomach. The ninja didn't understand why. That was all he needed to finish his mission.

And all the Kazekage needed for a decent extermination…

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oo ….oh boy…I smell a war! An ill-timed war too! What about Gaara and Mara! Will the Kazekage ruin this blooming friendship to keep his weapon intact?

…could it go further then that?

Next time, in 'My Thinking Spot'. See you then!


	5. My Thinking Spot

Thank god some people have stuck with me! Sorry about the wait guys. School finals and all… …

Anyway, here's what I promised, 'My Thinking Spot'

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Thankfully, a cushion of sand absorbed most of the impact. Even being tossed from the top of the Sand Village wall isn't enough to deter Gaara's shield of sand, and he floated back to earth without a mark on him. Still, his head was once again swimming, something it had been doing a LOT lately since the arrival of the tribes. Rhyming words, his father's screaming, Mara's face…

_MARA!_

"GAH! I'm late!" His sandaled feet shoved off against the shifting sand, his already abused mind berating itself despite his speed.

_Oh, I just HAD to forget! Why why why why WHY did those freaky brothers have to show up! I was about to head out, I swear! I swear! _

Within his conscious, another voice rumbled to life, authoritive, and, most importantly, annoyed. Gaara didn't notice, his panic over being late overtaking all.

**_Are you ever going to shut your trap, boy? What in the sam hell could be so damn importan'…_**

****Gaara's feet slowed to a stop, standing perfectly still as his eyes rose skyward. The icy green orbs circles slid out of focus. He had now sunk about three inches into the sand, but his attention was on the Shukaku instead. Hidden, blending in with a dune, a lock of blonde hair flickered about in the breeze, Mara's blue eyes intent on Gaara's form.

_What was he doing there… _She puzzled, her confusion solved for the most part by the sound of Gaara's one sided voice floating over the same breeze that shook her shoulder length hair.

"I'm meeting someone here." Gaara replied, keeping his voice level and calm. Years of experience had taught him the rules of speaking to the Shukaku involved keeping the tone even. One rise or fall could give him the advantage…

**_Stop being vague, boy. You haven't got anything to gain, and a lot to lose._**

****"…" He shivered, feeling a wash of ice over his gut.

_Should I tell him…?_

_**I'm getting impatient, b-**_

****"She's a friend."

The sand priest was quick to respond, his tone disbelieving, dry, and blunt.

**_Bullshit. You don't have any friends._**

****Anger welled up within Gaara's little ribcage, the eye ridge arcing down. His indignant response violated his own rules and caught Mara completely off guard.

"What are you talking about!" He cried, passionate and animated.

"I have her! She's my friend, my best friend!"

There was a long silence from the beast held within Gaara's mind, and a twinge of fear alighted in Gaara's heart after the power from the outburst had faded. Did he anger Shukaku…?

Much to his surprise, the beast began to laugh, a ghastly sound. Gaara recoiled, biting his lip to keep it from quivering.

**_Wasn't your uncle your best friend too? _**

****In a flood, his courage and audacity came back, his fists clenching up at his sides. Those guarding the gate watched the little fellow with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, leaning on the upper lip of the wall to watch Gaara argue with himself.

"Mara would NEVER do that to me!" He screeched, his prepubescent voice gripped with his retaliation. "NEVER! I know she wouldn't! She could NEVER hurt me!"

He paused, a revelation bursting forth in his mind, bold, almost suicidal. At the moment though, anything seemed possible. Gaara felt victory coming, his own triumph spurning him on.

"AND YOU'D BETTER GET USED TO IT TOO! BECAUSE THIS IS **MY **BODY, NOT YOURS, AND YOU CAN'T COMMAND IT AROUND LIKE YOU OWN IT!"

Gaara's final echo came back to him, shock replacing the bravado as his face paled, the pupils contracting. His heart was pounding, a throbbing thing that made his chest jerk in addition to the hurried breaths.

_Did…did I just say that?_

Mara was just as caught off guard as Gaara was by his own outburst, but her reaction was far different. Her heart fluttered in her chest, gawking at the silhouetted figure standing in the sand with a warmth-filled mixture of admiration and shock. She sank back into the sand, barely even registering having fallen with her knees splayed out under her. Every muscle quivered, her entire physique tingling as she stared on.

_He…he just called me his best friend…_

Shoving off from the sand, she burst from her hiding spot, pushing through the dunes. Gaara only had time to turn his head before he was nearly bowled over by the flying tackle. He stumbled, managing to keep his feet despite the second body now latched to him. Mara squealed, her head shoved under Gaara's chin, her arms around his chest, and wholly ignorant of Gaara's flaming red cheeks. Even the guards were able to see, sniggering at his wide eyes and crimson face.

Gaara's panic wouldn't wait any longer!

"ACK!" Without another word, the little redhead took hold on Mara's wrist, pelting away deeper into the dunes and dragging her with and leaving the Wall Guards scratching their heads.

Now it was Mara's turn to get suddenly dragged somewhere.

"Wait a second, where're we goin-"

Before she could finish, the ground seemed to fly out from under her. The tribes girl was too shocked to scream, the brilliant blue watching the dunes rocket by under her. With a measurable amount of effort, she tore her eyes away from the rolling sand below, numbly turning them to her companion.

"….are we flying?"

"Sort of!" His cheerful tone let her relax a bit. Mara was still cautious, taking a seat on the cushion of sand below her, cruising along through the afternoon sky. Being in a few minutes of silence wasn't tolerable, and she ventured to finish her question.

"…Where're you taking me?"

"To my thinking spot!" He piped.

"Thinking spot?" Gaara's face fell, staring at the sand under their legs.

"It gets me away from my dad…"

"…you really hate your father, don-"

"We're here!" He squeaked, calling out her comment before she could finish it. A few boulders stuck out of the sand below, marking the spot. They leveled down, Mara apprehensive of the approaching ground, and cured of it as soon as the level touch down was completed. Her companion dismounted, however she was a little more interested in exactly where they were.

"What, wait a…Where's the village!"

"It's a ways off!" He replied, his voice chipper and happy. Mara frowned, taking a seat next to him. She had seen right through it.

"…you're not happy today, are you."

His façade died away as quickly as his smile did, pulling his knees up into his chest.

"…you could say that."

Mara bit her lip, scooting a bit closer. The sand pile appropriated by her wriggling kept their shoulders about an inch from each other. Silence reigned, Mara's courage faltering over her basis question.

"…is it because everyone thinks you're a monster?"

Gaara didn't answer, his eyes set on the sand below his feet.

"…."

His female companion ventured further, the growing apprehension growing in her throat.

"…why do they?"

Gaara didn't answer for a while, staring bitterly off into the sand before him wordlessly while Mara waited at his side for a response. The sun shifted in the sky towards its horizon home. A messenger hawk called out her hunting victory overhead.

But no response.

Mara's eyes hit the sand as well, guilty for asking and sensing the uncomfortable tension, her hands following to the space between them. Gaara blinked, glancing at the hand that had unintentionally covered his and quickly looking away, red tingeing his cheeks. The tribesgirl blinked, feeling the squeezing pressure on her set hand. Her eyes left the sand below, meeting the uncertain icy green in the middle. The hand gripping into hers shook and twitched, the owner of the hand nervous and uneasy.

"…Can…" He stuttered, the red of the sunset hiding his own flush. "…can you keep a secret?"

Mara, confused as she was, nodded with a fair level of certainty.

"I won' tell a soul!"

He masked the dread burning within his gut with a quick gulp. Even so, his voice trembled.

_…She's gonna hate me…she's gonna run away if I tell her and then I'll… _He bit his lip, trying to keep calm. _I'll….I'll be alone again…_

"…you promise you won't hate me?" He said, his abruptness taking Mara off guard. Nevertheless, she nodded, a little bit alarm growing in her gut. Gaara remained oblivious, absorbed in his own apprehension.

"…I've got a horrible thing…" He shivered, his voice reflecting his own attempts to plow through his anxiety. "My dad put it in there…"

Mara remained silent, leaning in as a prompt.

"…go on…"

"A…a big demon…" He paused, swallowing back his urge to stop there. "And no one likes me because of it…because…." Gaara stopped again, the hesitation in his eyes evident also in the shaking of his hand, gripping almost painfully tight onto Mara's for additional strength.

"Because I…I hurt people!" Gaara's gaze grew desperate and intense. Any barrier he had before was quickly broken, all 7 years of pent up social frustration pouring out into Mara's waiting lap and listening ear.

"I mean, everyone runs away from me and hates me and doesn't wanna' play with me, so I'm left all alone when I'm out! I have to sit on the swings or on the edges of the playgrounds 'cause nobody'll play with me! All I wanna' do is play with somebody like all'a other kids, but nobody'll play with me because they're all too scared of me! My dad hates me and my sister hates me and my brother hates me too and they won' play with me either! They barely even talk to me anymore, an' I can't sleep either, or the Shukaku'll-"

"Who's the Shukaku?"

Gaara paused in his ramble, feeling the jerking pain in his heart begin to throb again.

"…he's the demon…" He breathed, the sky darkening overhead as the sun disappeared. "…he eats my soul if I sleep at all…" His eyes lessened in their passion, remaining locked on the startled blue before trailing off to the ground again.

"…He…he likes it when I hurt people…" Gaara didn't lift his eyes from the sand, his heart plummeting into his gut feeling the sand shift nearby and Mara's hand slide form his.

"…You hate me now, don't you." He droned, his voice reflecting his coming sorrow and the shaking as the tears began to come, pittering over the darkening sand. "I didn' wanna tell you, 'cause I knew you'd-"

He halted in his words, feeling a brush of hair across his cheek and a weight deposited on his shoulder. His head turned, the side of his chin accidentally knocking against Mara's forehead. She stared on into the gathering twilight, serious as a heart attack and ignorant of Gaara's dismay.

"Gaara…" She murmured, the two silhouetted against the dying light. "…You're not the monster."

Gaara blinked, not really seeing the under glow of inter-cloud lightning or hearing the resulting rumble, too caught up in his own joyous astonishment.

"…I'm not?"

"…They are." She scooted closer, huffing a happy sigh in her own little comfort zone. Gaara stared on, the pang in his chest gone in an instant. Warmth surged his system, his entire body tickly with a bouncy sort of tingle.

_…she….she doesn't…she doesn't hate me…_

The splash of a raindrop on Gaara's arm ruined the perfect moment, he swinging his head up to watch the sky roll and shudder under the crackle of thunder overhead. Mara squealed at the splitting shriek, clutching onto Gaara's arm as the drops increased in both intensity and number.

"ACK!" He pulled his shivering friend out of the sand, a quick layer of sand deflecting the coming downpour. "It's raining! It never rains here!"

Mara paused, almost pulling back against Gaara's run.

"I can't go back! You're father said no!"

Gaara never stopped running, throwing back a rare crafty smile and a confident stare.

"You've got nowhere else at' go! He'll just hav'ta deal with it!

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oo Uh oh! Caught in a rain storm and about to butt heads with his father! This won't be pretty! Catch the results next time in 'Beauty and the Ichii-Beast'!


	6. Caught in the Rain

I know I know! I'm sorry I'm late. I've been really busy as of late with school and such, but here I am! I'm not dead, and neither is this fic! So, with no further ado, I present the next chapter, Caught In The Rain.

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"Sir, is this really necessary?" The nameless assistant watched his Kage's face, looking for any flicker, any dawn of reason. "I mean, the tribes aren't exactly defenseless. They ARE descended from the various Nin from each country! We have no idea what sort of hand combat skills they could bring to the battle field, and I'm not even mentioning bloodline limits or strange jutsu!"

The Kazekage silenced him with a wave of his hand, his eyebrows furrowed deep in thought.

"I've taken that into consideration already." His words were slow, his cabinet eerily quiet. "And I also know that they have their own pockets of strong, celebrated individuals. Certain tribes that have executed and honed their skills into almost an art form, and their numbers are stark compared to ours." He smirked at the growing unease and tension in the meeting room, the thunder outside merely adding to the general anxiety.

"If every combat-ready tribesman were to take arms against us, they would outnumber even Konoha itself 5 to 1."

His cabinet rumbled in alarm, muttering among themselves. The same bold subordinate rose again, intent on making reason appear again at the meeting room table.

"Then why're you proceeding with your decision to declare war if you know the risks! If we make one mistake, Suna will cease to exist!"

"…Have you studied their society and culture at all, Counselor?"

The bold cabinet member blinked, caught off guard.

"…excuse me, sir? What's their culture got to do with war!"

"Everything." Leaning forward on his elbows, he let the silence spiral, his cabinet antsy in their seats for answers.

"Their culture, society, economics, and battle skills all revolve around a central core of religion. They're terrified of their own abilities, thinking it a sin for anyone but a 'god-sent' or a 'blessed sent' to be taught in their jutsu." He pushed himself out of his seat, making his way towards the window to watch the rain pour into the streets below. "Anyone outside of the tribal leader's family or close chosen officials is forbidden under death to learn their techniques. This in itself eliminates some of the most talented individuals from EVER becoming trained in the first place. They may guard their techniques carefully, but only a select few know how to use them, and even fewer know how to use them _well._"

His eyes caught the movement under his window, paid it no attention, and went back to explaining it to his now relaxing cabinet.

"…That, and I can't allow them to menace my youngest son anymore either…If this keeps happening, he'll regard himself as a human being again…" 

He dropped his chin as he turned back towards the settled counselors.

"Dismissed."

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"KANKURO!"

No answer. The red head mustered his fist again to briskly thump on the doorway.

"KANKURO!"

Whether the older brother was choosing to ignore him or not wasn't clear. Either way, no one answered the door. Gaara stifled a sneeze at the minor defeat, glancing back at his blonde companion. He tried to convey hope despite his minor disappointment. Mara already looked too disgruntled and twitchy for her own good, but he could ignore that.

"They're not-"

Mara's rush for the door ruffled his hair with the speed. He looked after her charge, trying to understand how little girl minds look. In the meantime, Mara thrashed the door with every limb, as thought trying to exact revenge on the door for some wrong doing in it's past life.

"STUPID-STUPID-STUPID-STUPID!" She shrieked over the roar of the lightning, fists wailing on the wood. The red head blinked, blankly scratching his head and watching Mara dispose her fury onto the poor unsuspecting door with a fountain of sympathy.

_Poor Door…_

No matter how much pity Gaara held, the thrashing continued. Despite the barrage of punching, kicking, screaming, and cursing (Gaara's red face could only be matched by his hair), the door stayed steadfast. I don't doubt that it inwardly wept and cried and asked god what or whom it had tortured to earn the wrath of the flailing tribesgirl. Taking her teeth to it, Mara's viciousness was thrown towards the offending doorknob, wrenching it to and fro as more cursing flew from her mouth in a colorful array!

**Click!**

And the door swung open, throwing her inside the dry hallway with the spite that only comes from a bitter victim. Mara's yelp echoed in the cavernous hallway, the stone amplifying the thunder outside.

Gaara stared on in disbelief, right eye twitching from the sheer horror of their own stupidity.

"Oh…" Mara pushed herself up, sheepish and bashful. "…Didn' try the knob, did we."

She paused, cocking her head to one side at her companion's stony silence and still figure.

"Why haven't you come in yet? You're soaked!"

True, rain water was soaking into his clothing, his hair was plastered to his head, and he had a supreme case of the sniffles, but that just made him look all the more miserable with himself.

"…It was unlocked." He grumbled, his face contorted in a irritated fume. "…The ENTIRE time."

"Oh get over it Gaara! We got in, didn' we?" Mara waved him in, shaking her mass of hair free of water and splattering the walls with her doggish wriggling. Throwing the blonde mass back and erecting her posture, an eyebrow shot up at the empty doorway.

_Where'd Gaara go?_

"Gaaraaaaaaa, get insiiiiiiide!" A smile hung in those azure eyes despite dropping off her face, loping back out the front door. Her head poked out of the frame, scanning for her friend's engraved form.

_Wump._

Mara paused, her head swinging around to the right. A crafty, almost sneaky smirk revealed her teeth, throwing herself at the wall. Flat as she could get, the scooting began.

_Wump._

Gaara didn't notice her sneaking, too busy steadily pounding his head into the wall to perceive it.

"What'cha doin'?"

_Wump._

Mara took a chance, scooting a little closer. There was no change in her friend; the red head methodically bobbing back and forth like a drinking crane trying to pound the stupidity out of his head.

"…you're gonna hurt yourself-"

He threw his hand out, index finger aloft. Mara pulled back, cut off and staying as such.

"Shush…" He hissed, icy eyes intent on the wall receiving his head. His female friend remained silent, rocking on her bare feet in an attempt to by off her curiosity.

A mere 5 minutes passed, and the blonde couldn't stand it any longer.

"…what is it?"

Silence from Gaara, the boy staring vacantly into the rock wall.

"…another dream." He muttered, her question a side note to his concentration. "I get these sometimes."

She took a seat against the wall, watching him as though he were about to shift into some animal form and attack. "…but people don't have dreams in the day time."

"…"

There was a moment of silence that stretched into the eons. Mara cautiously venturing his attention after Gaara grew slack-jawed.

"…Gaara?"

_In his mind, Gaara had a perfectly-detailed birds-eye view of his home village of Suna... As he was observing the details, he would have jumped in shock as a strange-looking bird swooped into his sight. The creature was obviously NOT a bird that had appeared naturally in the world. It had a strange surreal shape about it, as if nothing more than a child's sketch of a bird._

_Whatever it was, the creature soared around Suna like an eager hawk circling its prey. It then flapped its wings once before tilting them to the side, folding its wings back and falling into a dive towards the village._

_Its attack was interrupted by a massive paw backhanding the bird, sending it spinning off to the side before it managed to regain control. When Gaara realized what had just saved Suna, he gasped out loud._

_There, crouching over the village with an all-too-familiar threatening expression was the gigantic shape of Shukaku. The one-tailed demon lazily flexed its tail, readying its paw for another swipe, should that be required._

_However, it looked as if the bird had other things on its mind. With a loud shriek, it flapped its wings and somehow seemed to launch some of its body at the Shukaku, the result being a massive explosion right in front of the racoon-like demon's eyes._

_Shukaku reeled back, roaring loudly as its paw clamps over its eyes, a low growl escaping its maw._

_The bird now began to fold its wings up, gathering light to itself before it took off into the sky, losing its bird-shape and now looking almost like a shooting star._

_From other locations that Gaara could not see, eight other bursts of light shot upwards, each arching together and impacting together, shaping into a massive swirl of power. From this nexus came a large, pearl-colored shape. A massive ghostly hand stretched downwards towards the stunned Shukaku, placing the palm against the beast's chest and curling the fingers together._

_Slowly, the hand began to draw back towards the nexus. And with it slowly came a second ghostlike entity. With each inch, Shukaku roared in renewed agony as its ethereal double was dragged from its physical form, until with a final yank the spirit came free._

_The physical Shukaku reared back, giving one final cry of wordless agony as its physical form began breaking down, dissolving into nothing more than a mountain of sand. Slowly, some wind kicked up, blowing away the sand to reveal something underneath it._

_Gaara gave an unheard gasp of shock. From the red hair, the pale complexion, the massive shadows around the eyes, and the unmistakable character carved into the teenager's forehead representing 'Love', it was obvious who that was._

_The human who had died when Shukaku's spirit was taken was none other than Gaara himself..._

"GAARA!"

The boy snapped from his hallucination, his mind and his balance still swirling like the sands he had just witnessed. Mara did her best to catch her friend, but the most she could do was ease his fall. Worry sketched itself across the blonde's face, easing Gaara's head into her lap, the rain refusing to give any sort of mercy.

"…Gaar-" Her call was cut off by the boom of thunder, adding a shriek to the roar above as she hunched over her still reeling friend. "Gaara!"

"I…I just…" Mara was too impatient to let him finish his mortal address.

"Fainted, that's what!" Soaked to the bone and icy cold, oblivious to his confusion, she dragged him through the still open door, Gaara's shoes dragging troughs in the road.

Mara's eyes pinpointed, flying open and ignoring the fact that she unceremoniously dropped her friend with a muffled 'OOF!'

"You LIVE here!"

Mara half-heartedly rung out her hair on the stone floor, her eyes ignorant to Gaara's frantic attempts to wipe it up as the eternal blue, wide and ecstatic, swept over the internals of the home.

"Your dad must have a TON of wives!" Mara squealed, bouncing and twirling along down the hallway. Everything seemed a wonder, her greedy eyes and fingers sliding along every picture and object to absorb it through as many senses as possible. Gaara merely stood by in the background, once again utterly confused.

"…wives?"

"You know, those things guys have that girls don't?"

Gaara's face instantly bleached white, his confusion bleeding into his horror.

"THAT'S SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!"

Mara paused, taking her hands off a vase. "…What're you TALKING about? The more you have, the wealthier you are!"

"…."

She left the gaping, twitching Gaara behind in the hallway to try and grasp what she had just said, strolling to the left into a larger room.

"Oooohhh, look at all this stuff!"

The mental image was almost too much for Gaara, inch-worming his way after her into the meeting room. Already he could feel the dread coursing like hot lead through his chest, and it only worsened with the tale-tell sound…

**Blonk….Blonk-Blonk-Blonk…**

Of someone knocking on glass.

"Gaara? Gaaaaraaaa…" The blonde bringer of mischief peered over the edge of the couch, catching sight of him instantly. "THERE you are!"

"What is it M-" He couldn't finish, Mara snatching his wrist and whipping him over the couch cushions to join her. She didn't wait for him to get settled, leaping off the couch and approaching the object in question.

"What's this?" The redhead blinked, watching Mara scurry all over the strange looking box.

"…That's a Television."

Mara's head seemed to twist like a badly oiled hinge, giving Gaara a look so vacant and empty that it could've been the poster-picture for an anti-drug campaign. The normally buzzing blue eyes were frozen. One could see the gears behind them locked and rusted in place, weeds spontaneously erupting in the cracks like a tractor left to pasture.

"…you know…a TV."

One could almost hear the crickets chirping from inside Mara's ears. Gaara tried again, his lips slow and accenting each syllable, his fingers curling to add emphasis.

"…Teeeee….Veeeeee." His hand plunged into the couch cushions, pulling out the remote for said television. "You watch it."

He then did something he should never have done, and, probably later down the road of his sad and sorry life, he probably still laughs at himself for doing something so stupid in Mara's presence.

Gaara's thumb crept to the power button and turned on the set.

Mara's body seemed to spontaneously catapult itself off the TV set as though electrocuted, landing on all fours in front of the screen. The gears, previously locked in place, leapt to life, flinging rust everywhere and starting to smoke from the overworking. The blue eyes regained their sparkle, wide and staring at the screen as it played along. Gaara leaned back, setting his hands behind his head.

"Ah, Konoha news…You know, this is my dad's favorite thing in the hou-"

"…how…how'd they fit in there…?" Mara muttered breathlessly, staring at the shifting figures.

"…I don't really know. I just-"

Mara sprang up, throwing an accusing finger at the tv screen. "YOU! LET THEM GO NOW!"

Gaara blinked, a little alarmed. "…It's not going to talk ba-"

"LET THEM GO, I'M WARNING YOU!" She shrieked, the TV seeming unabashed. "I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO EAT ANYONE ELSE!" Without another word, the tribe girl charged out of the room like an enraged Spanish bull, practically blowing smoke as she left.

"…Um….Mara?" He slid off the couch in the silence, hearing a distant clatter somewhere in the distant reaches of the house. His apprehension grew as he crept towards the door. His head slid out into the danger zones beyond the trim of the door, staring out into the empty hallway.

"…um…Mara?"

Nothing could've prepared him for what he saw next, or could've floored him more easily. The blonde burst from the kitchen archway, adjusting the old saucepan that was her helmet like a weathered war veteran. Her eyes, glaring out from under the giant saucepan, matching the purpose of her boastful stance, her torso covered by a serving bowl almost in mockery of a pristine white beer belly. A blackened skillet was clutched in either hand, the fingers clenched and the knuckles white. Gaara stared at the kitchen-aid valkerie, not believing the scene his eyes was delivering.

"Mara…Mara, what're you-"

Her purpose had come too far, screeching forth a heinous war cry a Viking would be proud of and charging with all the force of a freight train towards Gaara's outpost.

"AYEAYEAYEAYEAYEAYEAYEAYEEEE!" She hollered, waving the skillets aloft and roaring down the hallway. It was all Gaara could do to stop gawking and get out of the way.

"GAH!" He hurled himself around the corner of the doorway, his hair blowing in the gusts of Mara's passing as she hurled herself, all screaming 4 feet of her, at the misjudged Television. Gaara's face seemed to melt off of his skull in his horror.

_Oh no…not the TV…_

"FACE HEAVEN'S SKILLET'ED WRATH, YOU GODLESS SQUARE MONSTER!"

Glass, sparks, tubing, and tribal curses flew everywhere, her incurred wrath one the TV could not hope to survive. Gaara ducked under a vacuum tube as it flew by, staring in disbelief as his father's pride and joy was demolished under the guise of a holy crusade.

_Oh no oh no OH NO OH NO!_

Mara's berating hands jerked to a stop, the sand coiled around them holding them still.

"MARA! Stop it! I'm going to get it if my father finds-"

"….Finds what."

Gaara spun in place, his sharp about-face not the only think draining every drop of blood form his face.

"…oh….Hello dad…"

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OH CRAP. Dad caught them! OO! What happens next? Find out next time in 'In the Dark of the Night'!


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